A Paladin Looks at 50
I just had my 49th birthday, like most of you will be having this year, if you have not already. So, this is my 50th year of life on this earth, and every day is another day closer to the end of that life. I am one of those really weird people who are not afraid of death. Most normal people are - and rightly so - because it is normal to have a fear of the unknown. Part of my lack of fear can be attributed to my faith, certainly, but I have pretty much always felt the same way even before I had such a strong faith. I was fortunate in some ways to have been untouched by death until I was pretty old. I never even attended a funeral until I was 35! And I was closer to 40 before I went to the funeral of someone I had actually known. When my father died two years ago, it was the first time that I had experienced someone close to me dying, but I still feel the same way. As the years go by and we continue to lose more and more of our family, friends and classmates to death I hope we can all trust that this ultimate unknown will be an everlasting peace like nothing we can even imagine right now. And if there is suffering prior to death - our own or a loved one - I pray that we might somehow be able to grasp the redemptive value of that suffering and reach beyond it. It's all good - no matter how it looks on the surface - it's all good.
New Year Greetings
I have definitely not proven to be a very good blogger this year. At least Jill has put a couple of posts on lately ...
Anyway, a blessed New Year to all. Take away the disasters and 2005 was a pretty good year! When I count my blessings, I count all the old friends I was able to get back in touch with in 2005. The most enjoyable times I had this year were just "hanging out" with family and friends. I really enjoyed our summer drive south to move our oldest daughter to Plantation. It was a long drive with two dogs, two cars and three girls - but it was great to be able to spend time with my husband's family in Georgia on the way down. I also enjoyed a trip to Hawaii this summer with my youngest daughter to see my brother get married. And a trip to Switzerland with my husband to celebrate our 25th anniversary.
And, of course, our 30th high school reunion was a highlight of the year as well. My husband is busy planning his 30th reunion in 2006. I have told him that he should go by himself. It seemed like most of us who went to our reunion went stag and I think it was great to really be able to talk and reconnect without having to worry about our family members being bored!
I hope we can keep this connection going in the new year. I invite you all to send comments, email me, or become a poster yourself. We could certainly use some creative talent here! I think it's interesting to share pictures and news with each other, so please feel free to send anything you would like to share.
Peace and all good things to all.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
Just thought I'd post something new since everything seems to have died down now since the reunion and everyone is back to their normal daily routine.
We had a pretty hectic year with the hurricanes and the aftermath but we are finally back to our normal routine again as well.
I Hope that you all have a very Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays !!!!!!!!!!!!
JILL RING LAW
Thanksgiving Greetings
If you have not yet seen this Thanksgiving greeting card from MSN/American Greetings - It is HILARIOUS!!!! Here is the link to view the card -
http://www.msn.americangreetings.com/view.pd?i=382219626&m=1652&rr=
Happy Thanksgiving!
Hope everyone is having a peaceful and happy Thanksgiving with family and friends. This will be the first Thanksgiving in our house without our oldest, who is celebrating the holiday in Plantation with my family! She doesn't miss Missouri much right now. It's in the 30s today!!!
(Note to Tom Cheaney - hurricanes only happen once in a while in Florida - it snows every year in New Hampshire!!!!)
We have so much to be grateful for this year, as always. One thing in particular I am giving thanks for today is the great opportunity to get back in touch with some old friends. It has been a great blessing to renew friendships through the reunion this year and I pray that all of you might have a glorious holiday. We are having a very quiet family dinner today, just the four of us, and then going to see a movie - which has become a tradition since usually there are good movies out this time of year. The girls have already seen the new Harry Potter so we'll probably see
Pride and Prejudice... What are you doing for the holidays? How about Christmas and New Years? Don't think we will be getting back to Florida for the holidays this year, but I hope to drop in sometime after New Year's to spend some time with Chelsea since she will be off school until January 15. Blog us YOUR holiday plans!
I'm BAAACKKKK
Ok - so the bloom is off the post-reunion rose. I have not been keeping up to date with the BLOG monster. I have had to take over one of the company blogs and that has kept me occupied. So, I am very late in posting this email from Angela LORD Crippen that came in ...ohhhhh... about 10 days ago. Same day as Jill made her last post about the storm.
Anyway, here is what Angela had to say on November 8:
Hi Cindy: Just wanted to give you an update on how things are with us. We FINALLY got our power back on yesterday afternoon. Two weeks to the day from Wilma. My parents still don't have power and I know many others who do not either. Many traffic signals are still out. Some are being run with generators which are being watched by Plantation police to be sure that they don't run out of gas and are not stolen. School began again yesterday with lots of extra police and patrols in the school zones. Things are slowly getting back to normal but everywhere you go you see dead trees, broken branches and piles of debris. Seems like things are getting back to normal around town, but that was a storm that won't soon be forgotten.
GOT POWER~!
HEY ALL,
IT'S BEEN 15 DAYS OF HELL BUT WE FINALLY GOT POWER LAST NIGHT! WOOHOO
WE THANK ALL THE STATES THAT CAME TO OUR RESCUE.....W/O THEM FPL COULDN'T HAVE DONE IT. WE HAD TO HAVE ELECTRIC POLES PUT IN AS WELL AS TRANSFORMERS......AND LINES!
THEY ARE DEFINITELY TIRED YOU CAN TELL BUT THEY NEVER STOPPED!
JUST SO NICE TO HAVE BACK ALL THE STUFF WE HAVE MISSED! LIKE A/C
HOPEFULLY EVERYONE IS BACK UP ON LINE NOW WITH THEIR POWER TOO!
More on Wilma
Sometimes it's great to live in Missouri!!! I am so glad that Jill posted pix from the hurricane. I have been wanting to do a post, but really didn't have any good information, besides what I heard from my mother, and no pictures. My mom's house in ElDorado made it through the storm fine, just lost some of our big tree out front and the screen over the pool. She has had power back since Wednesday!
Got this email today from
Angela LORD Crippen, who lives in Plantation.
Hi Cindy: Just to let you know that we are OK too. Our house is OK but the yard is history. No power. Boil water was lifted yesterday. Yea. Our hospital got power back on Tuesday so we are able to work which is more than many can. My parents have lived here since 1945 and say that this was the worst since then. It was really scary. Life will not be normal here for a long time. My dad has a generator in his motor home so I am writing on his computer .
Worst horror story I heard was from Steve Koblik who lives down near the beach northeast of Lauderdale. His area got really hammered. He called me the morning of the hurricane, about 7:15 eastern, to say that it was the worst he had ever seen. Then I did not hear from him again until yesterday (Friday). He was still without power and had no gas since all the gas stations around him were down - one even had its pumps actually blown away in the storm! All his fish were dying and he was down to only peanut butter and jelly to eat - no bread. He had finally gone to his office, a high rise on the beach across from the Diplomat hotel where they had power, but the windows were all blown in and all their computers were trashed. Worst of all - he didn't get to see his White Sox win the World Series!!! 
Hope to hear from everyone else in the area about how they weathered the storm. My daughter in Naples is fine. She elected to stay there rather than go to my mom's for the hurricane, which was a good call. The storm came in about 20 miles south of Naples, which put them on the "good" side of it. As it came across the state, it exited a little north of Lauderdale, which put them on the "bad" side of it.
Finished and Corrected Names and Faces #1
Here are all the names in the correct order:
1-Jeff Hawthorne
2-Shari Sprayberry
3-Ed Woolslair
4-Bob Muller
5-Doug DeAlmeida
6-Greg Pinkien
7-Gary Thurston
8-Bob Johnson
9-Bryan Harriss
10-Patrick Casey
11-Tom Hunt
12-Michelle Cochran
13-Scott Thibodeau
14-Joe Dowling
15-Elaine Payton
16-Kimberly Hardman
17-Fay Pancoast
18-Jennifer Bartelmo 19-Janet Hilton
20-Andi Gilbert
21-Didi Arbib
22-Mike Butts
23-Bill Meenan
24-Linda Robinson
25-Nancy Robinson
26-Cindy Miner
27-Bob Cicchini
28-Lynn Rasmussen
29-George McGonagill
30-Carol Kilgore
Thanks to Dale Huber, Dave Kummer, Michele Farrell, Pete Radeka, Angela Lord, Jill Ring and Tom Cheaney for the IDs - and for Michelle Cochran for finally identifying herself as "mystery woman" #12!
Corrected Names and Faces #2
31-Laura TEFFT Dean
32-Alan “Bubba” Dean
33-Rae SMOLKO Dowling
34- Sandy JERUE Wike
35-Robb Hessler (hidden)
36-Barbara MORTON DeMarco
37-JIM SNYDER
38-LUANN PAGETT
39-Debbie BAUMAN Niedzwiedzki
40-JANET LOVELL
41-Steven Koblik
42- KAREN SCHNEIDER
43- CALVIN BYRD
44-JEAN FEDORA
45-BILL FINCHER
46-RACHEL TYSON
47-WAYNE BAILEY
48-RICK NELSON
49-DEBBIE CICCARIELLI
50-BONNIE WATKINS
51-PHYLLIS AMMANN
52-Angela LORD Crippen
53-PATTY REGNER
54-BETH DAVANT
55-KATHY CURRIE
56-Charlene JONES Frechette
57-COLIN BEACH
58-Amy Morgan
59-AVA HOLLOWAY
60-Anne Rupert
61-Karen ENO Auth
62-Melanie Dorman
63-Pam BURTON Tomlinson
64-Karen HOOVER Kinsley
65-KAREN MCKILLOP
66-Jim Harwell
67-BONNIE CARR
68-TED CARTER
69-AVIS HOLLOWAY
70-ALICIA GRUART
71- GARY WALSH
72-Kenn Mirabal
73- Phil McElrath
Thanks go out to Dale Huber, Angela Lord, Cynthia Brooks Montoya, Debra Truskinoff, Dave Kummer, Robb Hessler, Heidi Hollman Gresham, Amy Morgan, and Phil McElrath - in addition to Jill and Tom - for providing comments and IDs on this bunch.
Corrected Names and Faces #3
74-DALE HUBER
75-AUDRY MCNICHOL
76-ANTHONY (RAY) D'amiano
77-SUSAN SCHWABAS
78-HAROLD RIBEIRO
79-BOB DARGEL
80-TOM CHEANEY
81-MARK KRAWCZYK
82-JEFF FORSBERG
83-JEANNIE DESTEFANO
84-CYNTHIA BROOKS
85-DAVID KUMMER
86-ROBERT KUMMER
87-PATRICIA DOYLE
88-LINDA MCQUILKIN
89-JOY ARNETT
90-JOHN BROWN
91-MAGGIE GELLENS
92-CINDY DOANE
93-SHARON FELDMAN
94-BRIAN CARLEY
95-BONNIE KRAWCZYK
96-CINDY HORNBURG
97-DAN PETROVICH
98-SUZAN CARPENTER
99-ALAN BERG
100-DEBBIE KENNEDY
101-RUSSELL MAUGER
102-SHARON FARMER
103-PETE RADEKA
104-ANDY FEDERMAN
105-JIM PRIEST
106-JILL RING
107-DAVE JENKINS
108-DOUG WHITE
109-WENDY WARREN
Thanks to Charlene JONES Frechette, Bill Meenan, Dale Huber, Tom and Jill for the IDs. Now, I am going to delete all the other posts about the group picture to do a little housekeeping and clean the blog up a bit!
What a Difference a Few Decades Makes!!!
Thanks to Jim Harwell for sharing this ... it would be funnier if it wasn't so TRUE!
1975: Long hair
2005: Longing for hair
1975: KEG
2005: EKG
1975: Acid rock
2005: Acid reflux
1975: Moving to California because it's cool
2005: Moving to Arizona because it's warm
1975: Trying to look like Marlon Brando or Liz Taylor
2005: Trying NOT to look like Marlon Brando or Liz Taylor
1975: Seeds and stems
2005: Roughage
1975: Hoping for a BMW
2005: Hoping for a BM
1975: Going to a new, hip joint
2005: Receiving a new hip joint
1975: Rolling Stones
2005: Kidney Stones
1975: Being called into the principal's office
2005: Calling the principal's office
1975: Screw the system
2005: Upgrade the system
1975: Disco
2005: Costco
1975: Parents begging you to get your hair cut
2005: Children begging you to get their heads shaved
1975: Passing the drivers' test
2005: Passing the vision test
1975: Whatever
2005: Depends
Just in case you weren't feeling too old today, this will certainly change things. Each year the staff at Beloit College in Wisconsin puts together a list to try to give the faculty a sense of the mindset of this year's incoming freshmen.
Here's this year's list:
The people who are starting college this fall across the nation were born in 1987.
They are too young to remember the space shuttle blowing up.
Their lifetime has always included AIDS.
Bottle caps have always been screw off and plastic.
The CD was introduced the year they were born.
They have always had an answering machine.
They have always had cable.
They cannot fathom not having a remote control.
Jay Leno has always been on the Tonight Show.
Popcorn has always been cooked in the microwave.
They can't imagine what hard contact lenses are.
They don't know who Mork was or where he was from.
They never heard: "Where's the beef?", "I'd walk a mile for a Camel ", or "de plane, Boss, de plane".
They do not care who shot J. R. and have no idea who J. R. even is.
McDonald's never came in Styrofoam containers.
They don't have a clue how to use a typewriter.
(Notice the LARGER type - that's for those of us who have trouble reading...)
Sweet Revenge Guess Who?
Jim Harwell sent in this Guess Who for revenge.
Who is it??
And you ... you know who you are ... you can't guess!!!
Karen Hoover's Kids
Karen HOOVER Kinsley sent in this photo to share of her children - from left to right: Samantha 15, Erin 24, Ashley 25, and horizonal is son Dalton 10 - with Golden Retriever, Dakota.
Reunion Pictures
By request - here are some fun reunion pictures!
Just for fun!!!
Prom Picture
Okay - here we go, friends.
Jill RING Law has taken the plunge and sent in her Senior Prom picture. This is herself with date Mike Pealy. So, who is he, Jill? Don't see him listed in our graduating class??? Please enlighten us...
RESPONSE FROM JILL:He would have been in the class of 73 if he would have gone to school more often! He is also my exhusband!And, folks - if you have not thrown these pictures away for one reason or another - dig 'em out and share them with us. Bring back the memories...they are precious and few....
New Guess Who
Here's our new Guess Who?
Jill, you are not allowed to guess this time!!!
Ok, Tom - here it is a little bigger. I also found out that usually if you click on the picture it will bring it up on your screen by itself in a bigger format.
Senior Prom Theme
Charlene JONES Frechette is the definitive last word on this, apparently. She says it was DEFINITELY "Precious and Few" - she still has the stuff from it. Personally, I would have liked Purple Haze, Stairway to Heaven, or Long and Winding Road much better. Haven't gotten any prom pictures yet to post ... ????
Guess Who Answers - #2
This little girl
was this teenager in 1975
And here's Nancy JOHNSON Skorski at the reunion...
Nancy lives in Umatilla, Florida and has a daughter named Danielle.
Guess Who Answers - #1
This cute little kid
was this teenager in 1975
Here's Jim Harwell at the 30th reunion. He is happily single, still lives in Plantation, graduated from the University of Florida with a communications degree and currently works as a stage manager/technical director with a Ft. Lauderdale audio-visual company.
Do You Remember???
Cuz I don't.... What was our Senior Prom theme song? I am thinking it was one of these two. Click on the link to hear a SAMPLE (not breaking any copyright laws here!)
Precious and Few by Climaxor
Time in a Bottle by Jim CroceOr maybe it was something totally different. Do you know? If so, let me know - it's driving me crazy!!!
Senior Prom
Here is the second category of pictures to share -
SENIOR PROM! This is me and Mike Butts in our senior prom finery - yikes! What I remember most is how long I spent at the beauty parlor that day to get my long, straight tresses curled - which, as you can see, did not work. Contrast that to my youngest daughter's recent homecoming picture.
She has hair just like mine was - but she has been coloring it for years and I never did until I was about 30! And she is wearing - ACKKKK! - hair EXTENSIONS!!!! Incredibly ridiculous ... kids these days! Sheesh! That's not to mention how much it COSTS these days for these events. At her school they have TWO formals a year - homecoming in the fall and prom in the spring - and it is just obscene how much these kids (and their stupid parents...) spend on them.
Anyway - here's a chance to relive that magic night of senior prom. Scan and
email me your photos and I will post them for the world to see!!! Oh, come on - it will be fun - really!!!
Kodachrome
Remember
this song? Okay, boys and girls, break out the old photo albums and shoe boxes full of black&whites, do some scanning and share some old pictures. Two categories - first, guess who the young'un is. Here are two to get you started. Recognize them? Answers on Monday.
MY 1ST ATTEMPT @ BLOGGING!
HEY ALL,
I AM VERY PLEASED AND THANKFUL THAT OUR REUNION TURNED OUT TO BE A MAJOR SUCCESS AND THE PROOF IS IN ALL THE EMAILS THAT WE HAVE GOTTEN FROM EVERYONE IN REGARDS TO IT. SO THANK YOU FOR MAKINGHAT HAPPEN.
I GIVE ALL THE CREDIT TO TOM CHEANEY FOR MAKING IT HAPPEN. W/O HIM PURSUING IT, IT WOULDN'T HAVE HAPPENED. I JUST WENT ALONG FOR THE RIDE!THIS SITE THAT CINDY HAS CREATED HAS REALLY BROUGHT IT ALL TOGETHER FOR US IN ONE (1) SIMPLE CLICK. THANK YOU CINDY, U ROCK!JILL RING LAW
Alumni Directories Available
According to Reunion co-coordinator Jill Ring Law, Copies of the Alumni Reunion Directory are still available from REUNITED.COM for $20.00 PLUS TAX. Here is the direct link to
purchase the directory. Definitely a handy little book to have. I created a data base for everyone that has email addresses from it. I will be using mine for a long time to come - or at least until the NEXT reunion!
New Pix on Webshots
Some awesome new photos on
Webshots. If you have not checked it out lately - there are now 414 pictures on there now! Jill says Bonnie Carr sent about 100. Here's a couple samples. Click on the link to see them all. If you have already viewed the first couple hundred, best to go to slide show and then skip ahead.
Colorado Classmate
Many of us remember Guy Williams, a classmate of ours from the naval air barracks days, who went to Parkway when we split up in the 8th grade. He attended SPHS for a few years, but graduated from Nova. He lives in Colorado these days, is an Anesthesiologist at a children's hospital, and loves to ski.He was back in South Florida over the summer with his wife Shelley to attend Nova's 30th reunion, and got together with Jill to reminisce.
Here he is enjoying a recent ski trip with his kids.
A '75 Alumnus and her Current Paladin Nieces
Here's an email from Beverly ARBUCKLE Crist who shares a recent picture of herself and two nieces who will someday be SPHS alumni themselves.
Cindy,
Thanks so much for all of your work on the blog. It's really been a blast going through the photos and connecting names and faces. It's so fun to see what someone I went to elementary school with, not just high school, looks like...such as Ray Smolko, DiDi Arbib and Russell Mauger, to name a few. You, Tom, Jill and the rest of the committee have done an outstanding job...thanks so much. And I'm so sorry I missed the reunion.
The class of 75' voted me "Girl Art Student of the Year" and I guess they were sort of psychic because here I am 30 years later still making art. I went to FSU and received a BA in Fine Art in 1979. I got married in 81' to my fabulous husband Andy. We will be celebrating our 25th anniversary next year. I went back to school, FAU, and studied ceramics in the late 80's. I have worked as a ceramic artist since then...if interested check out my web-site at www.bexel.com/cristpot.htm. Along the way I have lived in Bremen, Germany (95') and Dallas (97-99') and now have been in L.A. for six years.
My brother Larry, class of 73', still lives in Plantation. His two girls, Caroline and Lauren, go to South. Here's a photo taken this summer of the three of us. Sorry it's such a big file, if possible maybe you could post it to the blog for me?
thanks!
Beverly Arbuckle Crist
A Note From Valerie V.
Now here's a lady who has not just aged gracefully - she hasn't aged AT ALL!
Valerie VERSO Ranne sent this picture in along with a note about herself:
Hi everyone.. It's be great seeing all your faces again. I moved to Atlanta in 1988 and after 18 years with the same mail order company they decided to closed the doors and retire. Starting over wasn't fun but I am now working for Regions bank as a Commercial Loan Administrator and loving it. Take care and hope to see all of you at the next reunion.
e-mail is valeriearanne@bellsouth.net
home phone 770-671-9680, cell phone 404-219-4770
Here's what Valerie looked like in High School... see what I mean?
Thanks, Valerie!!!
